Thoughtless response SCRAMBLE Love found
by Captain-Gloval
Summary: What if Keitaro had reacted differently when Naru refused to move their relationship to the next level at the end of Manga Vol9? Read and see. Please R&R.


Thoughtless response SCRAMBLE Love found  
  
Love Hina and all characters within are property of Ken Akamatsu, Tokyo TV and TokyoPop.  
  
This is placed at the end of the Manga Volume 9 and branches off about 2 pages before the end. I will reiterate the scene and make a note when my fic actually begins.  
  
Excerpt: Volume 9 Chapter 78 Page 178  
  
Naru: I. I Like. You. Keitaro: ... What? Naru: Maybe.. Keitaro: Hey. you. Naru: Sorry that I took so long to give you the answer. But. I. In my opinion. Instead of becoming lovers. Why not leave things as it is. Just remaining friends. That's why I took so long to answer. Is that ok for an answer? Keitaro: What?? Keitaro: Sorry = We're just friends = remain friends  
  
Change point (2nd to last cell)  
  
Keitaro looks at Naru for a moment with a blank look then stands up and takes a step towards the pool. He stands there for almost a full minute in silence. Finally, letting out a small laugh and a sigh, he drops his head.  
  
Slowly he turns around and looks at Naru with a face that is nearly unrecognizable to her. He walks forward and kisses Naru on the forehead and says, "That's what I was afraid you'd say."  
  
"Sayonara Naruseguwa Naru. Sayonara."  
  
Keitaro then walks to the gate to the pool area and passes the corner of the changing room heading back to the hotel, never looking back.  
  
Moments after he leaves Naru finally realizes exactly what he'd said to her and realized she may have said something she really didn't mean to. She immediately jumps up and runs to the corner and calls after Keitaro but he is nowhere in sight. She runs to the hotel, trying to catch him in the elevator but they are both up in the shafts at upper floors. She hits the call button repeatedly trying to get one back down.  
  
As she waits she goes over in her mind what she will say when she catches him, saying to herself that she is ready for a committed relationship. How she really does love Keitaro and the prospect of moving to the next step scares her a bit so she spoke before thinking.  
  
The elevator seemed to take forever to get back to the ground floor but it finally did. When the door opened Naru noticed that Kitsune and Mutsumi were inside. As they switched placed she asked, "Have either of you seen Keitaro?"  
  
"No Naru-san, I haven't." said Mutsumi in her whispered kimagure tone.  
  
Kitsune, who was obviously already slightly inebriated and distant, nodded her head in affirmation.  
  
As the door started to close she thanked them for their trouble and started to wonder what those two were up to. "Oh well. I have other things to worry about at the moment."  
  
After a the seemingly endless trip up the building to the 34th floor Naru rushed out of the elevator and down the hall towards the rooms they were using.  
  
Keitaro, being the only guy on the trip, had his own room at the end of the hall. Haruka was in the next room up with Sara and Mitsumi. Motoko, Shinobu and Suu were in the room across from Keitaro's. And Naru and Kitsune were sharing the room next to them.  
  
Naru went to Keitaro's room and knocked on the door. Not expecting an answer she placed her ear to the door listening for movement inside, but to her surprise it was completely quiet. She stood these for a few more minutes listening but still nothing. She then started to pound on the door losing her patients. After a minute of this Haruka poked her head out of her room and asked, "What the hell are you making all that noise for at 11:30 at night?"  
  
"Gomenasai Haruka-san! I'm trying to get Keitaro's attention. I said something I shouldn't have and he ran off upset. I need to take it back and say it right."  
  
"Well pounding on that door won't do you any good. He just left for home. He said to give you this letter and tell you not to try and follow him."  
  
Naru takes the letter and looks back to the now vacant room with a lost look on her face. She slowly walks to her room holding the letter tightly to her chest.  
  
As she walked into her room she noticed another letter sitting on the dresser on top of an envelope with Kitsune's name on it. She picked up this letter and quickly read its contents. The letter basically noted that Kitsune was to be the Kaninrin of Hinata-sou until further notice. Reading this made Naru very, very scared that she really had made a BIG mistake. She sat on her side of the queen bed that she was sharing with Kitsune and took a few deep breaths trying to prepare herself for the contents of the letter she was about to read, knowing that it would probably upset her a great deal.  
  
Naru,  
  
If you are reading this then that means you either, A. Said no to my request to move our relationship to the next level or, B. something else happened that convinced me that we would never move forward. Because of this I'm leaving Hinata-sou for a while, maybe forever. I'm doing this because I love you more then anything in the world. Now I know that may sound like a very stupid thing to do considering the way I feel about you but before you just call me a Baka listen to my reasoning.  
  
I've loved you ever since that day in the hot spring. I was cleaning the rocks as one of my first duties as the Kannrin when you came out to tell me you knew I wasn't really a Toudai Student. You really confused me with that comment. Then you put on your glasses and I finally realized who you were. At that point, I though I was dead. I thought you would immediately inform the others that my status as a student was a lie, and I would be on my own. But, when the time came, you didn't, for whatever reason you backed my lie and saved me from homelessness. I've loved you ever since.  
  
It took me a long time and a lot of sleepless nights to build up the courage to confess my feelings to you. At first I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would only get mad at me. Later it was because I didn't want to interfere with your studies, clouding your mind with unnecessary feelings and situations. Then finally, that Christmas, I couldn't hold it in any more and told you. When you didn't answer me at first it scared me almost to death. I thought to myself, "Good work baka!" now you've gone and done it. Then you warmed back up to me a bit and I thought things would be OK. I'd just have to bide my time. Guess not huh?  
  
So here we are, at the end of our road. I have to leave because I love you. If you can't return that love then I'm nothing but a nagging pain in your side. I can't bring myself to be around you as just a friend any more. I love you too much. Please don't try to follow or locate me. I need time alone to get a good control on my feelings for you so I'm not a bother like I would be if I stayed right now.  
  
Sayonara. For now  
  
Urashima Keitaro  
  
Naru went over the letter again to make sure she caught everything, a bit in disbelief, a but in a bit in shock. She'd always taken Keitaro's feelings for her for granted. No matter what she did to him he would always be there for her when she needed him. Now he was gone. He said he would be back, but he would have forced himself to get over her. That meant she had some time to solidify her feelings for him, and when he came back she could win him back. She would do it! She took a shower and changed into her nightgown and went to bed.  
  
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She awoke the next morning to the sound of Kitsune throwing up into the toilet. At first this annoyed her until the thought about the new, added responsibility that had been dropped on her unprepared friend. She understood Keitaro's choice, being that Kitsune didn't have a permanent job and being the Kannrin exempted her from rent. Kitsune, though, had never had that kind of responsibility and it seemed to be overwhelming her a bit.  
  
Naru got out of bed and dressed for the trip back to Hinata-sou. She went into the bathroom and checked on Kitsune, who had finally emptied her stomach, "Is there anything I can get for you Kitsune?" When Kitsune's eyes met Naru's, Naru saw the hurt in her eyes.  
  
"No Naru, I'll be ok. Just give me a minute to clean up." With that she closed the bathroom door on Naru.  
  
It was her fault and Naru knew it, but at the moment there was nothing she could do about it. She packed up her things and left the room. They were going to be checking out at around 11:00 0'clock.  
  
"Kitsune? I'm heading down for breakfast. I'll see you when you get down. I'm taking my bags."  
  
"OK! See you in a little bit."  
  
Naru left the room and again looked to the room Keitaro had been in hoping last night had been a bad dream and that he would be walking out of that room any minute. She stood there waiting until Motoko and Shinobu walked out of their room with their bags.  
  
"Naru-senpai, are you feeling OK?" asked Shinobu with concern.  
  
Snapping out of her trance Naru noticed their presence next to her and replied, "Oh Motoko-chan, Shinobu-chan, gomen. I didn't notice you there."  
  
"Are you going down for breakfast?"  
  
"Hai Naru-senpai, we are," said Motoko.  
  
"OK, let's go ladies!" responded Naru as she led the way to the elevators.  
  
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The rest of the morning and the trip back to Hinata-sou were mostly uneventful. Haruka told everyone about Keitaro's leaving. As would be expected Shinobu assumed she'd done something to him. Motoko assumed she'd finally succeeded in running him off. Suu became sad that her punching bad was gone. Mutsumi and Haruka knew about him leaving already so showed no signs of shock or emotion other then Mutsumi looking at Naru with a very disappointed and sad look. Upon seeing this Naru turned around and looked out the window so she wouldn't have to see that look. She knew his leaving was her fault. She refused to let the others get her down. She knew she'd made a mistake and she would fix it, as soon as she got the chance.  
  
The next few months for Naru were full of studying, mostly by herself, as Mutsumi still couldn't look at Naru without showing signs of sadness. Seeing this made Naru unable to study effectively. Tests were coming up and she needed to get her scores up if she expected to get into Toudai with Kei. Was he even still trying for Toudai? Being that she was his "promised girl", or so they all believed, and they had had a falling out. She was, for the first time since he had come to Hinata-sou, unsure of her need to get into Toudai. She needed to know if he was still trying for Toudai or some other collage, or is he was giving up on furthering his education completely.  
  
Naru went down to the Hiza-Hinata to talk to Haruka to she if she could pry a little information about Keitaro's current status out of her. As she walks up to the shop she hears Haruka on the phone talking to someone. Naru sneaks up to the edge of the door and tried to listen in with hopes that Haruka is talking to Keitaro. Maybe she can find out what she needs to know without bothering with Haruka at all. Just as she gets close enough to understand what is being said though Haruka hangs up with the other person.  
  
"Che, I hope he knows what he's doing." Says Haruka as she pulls out another cigarette and lights it.  
  
Naru walks into the shop like she had just gotten there, "Hello Haruka-san. How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm ok Naru-chan. A bit tired but I'll make it. What brings you down? Shouldn't you be studying?"  
  
"I have been. I decided to take a break and relax for a bit. Getting to tense sitting there reading," said Naru. "Haruka-san, can I ask you a question? I need to know something about Keitaro so I can make an important decision about my future."  
  
"I can try Naru-chan, but no promises. Keitaro asked me not to tell you anything about his location or any clue as to how to find him."  
  
"Is he still going to try for Toudai?"  
  
"As far as I know, but why do you ask? Are you changing schools to avoid him?"  
  
"No, I made a mistake and caused him to leave us. I intend to fix that somehow. I've come to realize that I do love him and want to spend my life with him. So I wanted to know if he had changed school choices so I could follow."  
  
"Well, do you want me to tell him this?"  
  
"No. I still need time to prepare for what I will have to do when he returns. And I want to do a few things to make him understand that I'm serious and want him as a permanent part of my life."  
  
"Well, I'm glad to know that. I wish you would let me tell him so he wouldn't put you out of his heart completely. He may be a baka at times but he is very headstrong. Once he sets him mind a certain way he usually sticks to it. I just hope you can win him over that mindset when the time comes."  
  
"After how long he stayed before, I'm hoping against hope that he won't be able to do it completely. If there's just a little bit of feeling left for me I can win." With this she makes the V for victory and leaves the shop with a spring in her step.  
  
"I certainly hope you are right Naru-chan. He needs you more then he or you know right now."  
  
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Two weeks later, when exam time was upon her again, Naru was ready. She had been getting an average of 475 out of 500 on the practice exams and she was pumped and ready to pass this time. The morning of the first day of testing Naru met Mutsumi at the bottom of the steps from the inn and they walked to the testing center.  
  
While walking Naru started up a conversation to try and pass the time, and to keep her mind off the test so she didn't get nervous.  
  
"So, Mutsumi-chan, how are your practice scores?"  
  
"As usual, they are in the 470s, if I can just remember to put my name on the Exam I shouldn't have a problem getting into Toudai this time around. How are your practices?"  
  
"I'm averaging about 475 each time. Got a 490 the other morning. I think I'm ready this time."  
  
"A 490? Wow! That's better then Urashima-ku."  
  
"Really? You've been studying with Keitaro?"  
  
"No, I heard from Haruka-san that he was pushing himself really hard to make the grade. Please don't tell her I told you. She made me promise not to tell anyone per Keitaro's request."  
  
"I won't tell anyone. I'm just relieved to hear that he's doing OK studying by himself. I remember when he first came to Hinata-sou his average score was 340. He had no idea how to study effectively by himself. I was afraid he would revert to his old ways. I would have actually been kind of relieved if you were studying with him. I'll have to hassle Haruka- san next week for his results."  
  
Mutsumi just smiled at Naru and continued walking.  
  
Within a few more minutes they reached the testing center and showed their IDs to get in. They were in different rooms so agreed to meet outside near a park statue afterwards and walk back together.  
  
Naru walked into the room and chose a seat near the back by the wall, sat down, and started preparing for the test. Once she was ready she sat quietly and watch the other examinees come in and take their seats. Finally the Test Administrators and their assistants started to pass out the day 1 tests. As they passed them out a few more stragglers came in, took a copy of the test, and took the few remaining seats in the room. As Naru watched these people walk in she noticed that one of them had a familiar orange coat. It was Keitaro.  
  
He was one of the last people to be allowed into the room before the test started. He walked to one of the assistants and took a copy of the test. He apologized for he tardiness and took a seat in the front of the room near the opposite wall.  
  
Naru watched him as he hurriedly pulled out his pencil box, removed a pencil from it and sharpened it. He then opened his test and started to work. Naru wondered why he didn't wait to be told to start, didn't that Baka know he would get kicked out for not waiting for the start time to be called? That's when Naru noticed she was being the Baka. Everyone was starting except her. She quickly pulled the perforated strip from the side of the test booklet and started taking her test also.  
  
Two hours later time was called to stop working on the test. Naru had already completed hers and was going back over some of the one's she was less confident of her answers on. She looked up to see what Keitaro was doing and noticed that he wasn't in his seat. She stood up and searched the back of the room just in time to see Keitaro hand in his test and leave the room.  
  
Naru grabbed her things and tried to get to the door as fast as possible but got bogged down in the mass of bodies trying to get out also. By the time she made it outside the room Keitaro was nowhere to be seen. She walked outside to meet Mutsumi and caught a glimpse of Keitaro turning a corner on the other side of the park waving good bye to Mutsumi, who was at the statue waiting for Naru.  
  
Naru ran up to Mutsumi, startling her into unconsciousness. Not wanting to lose Keitaro, and not sure why, Naru left Mutsumi sitting against the base of the statue and took off after Keitaro.  
  
Rounding the corner Keitaro had Naru was greeted by a busy intersection with hundreds of people going about their business. Naru franticly looked through this crowd for Keitaro's receding form. Finally, on the brink of giving up, Naru spotted him walking down the sidewalk across the intersection. Quickly she ran across the road, against the walk signs and started working her way through the crowd in his direction. After a few minutes of pushing and shoving she had Keitaro in her sights, and almost within reach.  
  
Closing the gap between them she finally got right behind him and grabbed him in a big hug from behind. "Got you Urashima Keitaro! And I'm not letting you go this time!"  
  
The man she'd grabbed let out a yelp and threw her off his back. He quickly turned around and back away from Naru a bit. "Urashima Keitaro? Who the Hell is that and what does he have to do with me?!"  
  
Seeing his face Naru realized she'd grabbed the wrong person. Standing back up she bowed and apologized for the mistaken identity and made her way to the wall of the building next to her. And leaned against it in defeat.  
  
After a few minutes of feeling sorry for herself Naru pushed off the wall and started to walk back to the test center to check on Mutsumi. When she got there Mutsumi wasn't where she'd left her sitting. Figuring she had been sent to the hospital for her fainting again she turned to start walking home.  
  
After a few steps she heard someone ask, "Did you catch him?"  
  
She looked up and saw that Mutsumi was sitting on a bench in the shade. "No, he got away in the crowd."  
  
"What would you have done if you caught him?"  
  
"I'm not entirely sure. I thought I had him but grabbed the wrong person."  
  
"Maybe you'll have better luck tomorrow after the test."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Naru and Mutsumi walked back to the Hinata-sou and were greeted with the usual congratulatory party. Naru, not really in the mood, left the party about an hour after it started and went to her room to cram a little more for the next day's exam.  
  
The next day Naru got up and left for the exam. She again met Mutsumi at the bottom of the steps and they walk to the test center, checked in, and went to their testing rooms. Naru didn't see Keitaro anywhere as the test started and completed. Either he'd went to a different room today, or he didn't come back.  
  
She went home after the test in a depressed mood. She never even noticed that Mutsumi didn't walk back with her or that there was a party at the inn waiting for her return.  
  
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For Naru, the week until the results were posted went by in a blur. She didn't do much of anything, just sit in her room and look through her old diary entries about Keitaro and point out to herself where she'd gone wrong.  
  
Shinobu would come to her room before every meal and ask her if she was coming down to eat, and usually she would. A few times she would ask Shinobu to bring her something later because she wasn't feeling good. After a few missed meals Haruka showed up at her door.  
  
"Are you feeling ok Naru-chan?"  
  
"Yeah. Just anxious to get the results for the test."  
  
"That's not all you are anxious about. I can see that you aren't in a very happy mood, and by the items on your desk I would guess that you are thinking about Keitaro again."  
  
"Why would I be thinking about that Baka?"  
  
Haruka just gave Naru a look and didn't bother to answer that question. After a minute of that look Naru broke down.  
  
"Ok fine! I miss him Haruka-san. More then I thought I would. More then I thought I could."  
  
"Would you like me to tell him you need him to come back, so you two can talk?"  
  
"Yes and no. I do want to talk to him, but the reaction I just had proves I'm not ready. I don't want to hurt him, emotionally or physically, again. I don't know what to do."  
  
"Why not write him a letter. I can get it to him for you."  
  
"What would I say?"  
  
"Well, for starters, how about telling him how you feel about him and explaining your dilemma to him. He may be willing to come back knowing that you want to get serious with him but need his help and understanding."  
  
As Naru sat thinking about what she'd said Haruka turned to leave. At the door Haruka turned and said, "Think it over. Christmas is in five days. Maybe you can give him a good present and spend New Year's day with the one you love. By then you will both have gotten your test results. You can celebrate your acceptance to Toudai together." With that Haruka left Naru to her thoughts.  
  
Once Haruka left, Naru sat there for a while trying to think of what she would say if she were to write Keitaro a letter. After a few minutes she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began to attempt a letter to the one she loved. Everything she wrote though sounded stupid and childish no matter how she said it. Four wads of paper later she threw her hands up in defeat and frustration and leaned back in her chair to look at the ceiling.  
  
"Why can't I do this? I know how I feel about him. I know that I need him in my life. Why can't I tell him that? He's not even here to interrupt or distract me." Saying this she lolled her head to one side. She then noticed the diary she'd left open on her kotatsu. She got up, walked over and picked up the book to see where she'd left off. The entry she was greeted with was the one she'd made the day Keitaro had left the Hinata- sou. Reading through this entry reminded Naru of how she really felt about Urashima Keitaro and reminded her why she wanted him back in her life, as a permanent fixture. She closed the diary with a sign of finality and went back to her desk to write.  
  
Keitaro-kun,  
  
Kon nichi wa anata. Just writing this to tell you I love you. I would like to meet and spend Christmas with you. We need to talk about things, last July, our present situation, and our future. Please contact me.  
  
Your Promised Girl, Naruseguwa Naru  
  
She read through this letter a few times to make sure it was what she really wanted to say to him after the six-month silence. Happy with what she had she placed the letter in an envelope and sealed it. She then took the letter down to Haruka and asked her to get it to her Keitaro quick. She then left the Hiza-Hinata for the second time in a great mode and began her preparations for Christmas.  
  
The next day Haruka went to visit her nephew. He'd been staying nearby, at a collage friend of Haruka's, in their spare room. Keitaro had said he wanted to stay in town, incase he was needed at the inn for a real problem. He was still listed as the Kaninrin and if there was a legal problem, he would be held responsible. He was hitting on the bed with his eyes closed. Haruka walked in quietly and leaned in close then said in a loud voice, "Hey Keitaro!!! You awake?!"  
  
"WAAAAAAA!!!!! Che, don't do that!" he said in annoyance.  
  
"Hehe, thought you were asleep."  
  
"Well, I wasn't. What brings you here? The test results aren't out until tomorrow."  
  
"Actually I come bearing a letter for you. Was asked to bring it quickly. Well now that I've done what I promised I'm leaving."  
  
"Hold on," he says. "I need you to give this to Naru for me Christmas day." As he pulls out a small package from the bedside table.  
  
"I'll get it from you when I come back to get your score results. If I take it now I'll lose it."  
  
"Ok okaasan."  
  
Haruka reached over and swats Keitaro on the back of the skull, "Call me Haruka-san." With that she leaves the room.  
  
Keitaro put the package back and sat back against the wall. He looked at the letter and wondered whom it was from. As he began to open it he notices the perfume that was on the letter. He took a whiff of the scent and his curiosity grew. He ripped the letter open and tossed the envelope to his lap. He then opened the letter and read through it a few times. At first he was in shock, after reading it a second time he was excited, but as he read it a third time he did so with doubt. After Naru's statement back in July he found it hard to believe she would have written this letter. Someone had to have been screwing with him. The handwriting, though, was Naru's. He was sure of this because he had some notes Naru had taken for him to compare them to. Not sure what to believe he decided he would have to verify this letter somehow.  
  
Later that night, after midnight, Keitaro got dressed in a black sweat suit and went to the Hinata-sou for the first time on over five months. He had written a note on the bottom of the letter and planed to place it in Naru's room, from through the hole to his room. When he got to the inn he made note that Motoko seemed to still be up. The rest of the inn was dark. He went a back walkway to one of the extensions on the Inn so he could come in without having to open a door.  
  
As he snuck through the halls he became more and more nervous. Jumping at any little sound he heard. Finally he reached his door and crept inside. Once the door was closed he relaxed a bit until he noticed that the room looked a bit different. For starters the furniture was organized a bit different and there seemed to be a few extra things there. A larger futon replaced the smaller one he'd slept on. The spare closet he had was full of clothes. And the hole to Naru's room was cleaned up and had a ladder in it.  
  
Keitaro quietly walked over to this ladder and look up into the room above. The lights were out and it was quiet. He slowly and carefully climbed up the ladder and poked his head into the room. He saw the door to the sleeping room closed but there was a light on in that room. Not wanting to get caught he placed the letter on the floor with a box of pocky on top of it. He then came back down as quietly as he could and snuck out of the inn, confident that he had not been seen or heard.  
  
Motoko, standing at the window to her room, watched at Keitaro walked back down the stairs and headed away wondering what he'd been doing here. She decided to leave it alone knowing that Naru and he were still an item no matter what was said about their status. She Closed the window and went to bed knowing she would likely hear about it the next day or so somewhere.  
  
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The next morning Naru woke up and dressed to go to the test center to get her results. She also found Keitaro's ID # so she could see if he'd made it or not while she was there. When she opened the door to her sleeping area she noticed the piece of paper and the box of pocky next to the ladder. She picked up the items and looked into the room below to see if anyone was there but saw no one. The then opened the letter.  
  
She immediately recognized the letter as the one she'd asked Haruka to deliver to Keitaro two days ago. She then noticed the note written on the bottom of the letter and read it.  
  
Naruseguwa,  
  
I wanted to make sure this was legitimate before I got myself too worked up. So I pose this question. When we first met. What was the first physical contact we had? Write the answer on the inside flap of this box of pocky. I will see you at the result posting.  
  
Keitaro  
  
Naru stood there looking at the note for a few minutes thinking of this question but could not remember what the answer was. She quickly went to her diaries and found the one from when Keitaro had first come to the Inn and found the very first entry about him she's written. And there was her answer. When she read it she began to blush brighter and brighter. She reached for the box of pocky and opened it up, grabbed a pen and was about to write the answer then realized that someone else might see it. Realizing this she got nervous. What would people think if she opened a box of pocky with that written in the lid? She held off on writing anything in the lid and left for the exam center. She would figure something out on the way.  
  
The trip to the testing center was spent in thought as to how to handle the request Keitaro had made. She wanted him back at the Inn, close to her. She didn't care what the others thought of her relationship with Keitaro anymore, now did she care what the other test takers thought. From the edge of the crowd she opened the pocky box and put the word "Breast" in the lid. She then closed the box and started looking for her name on the lists and for Keitaro in the crowd.  
  
Within minutes she'd spotted Keitaro on the other side of the posting area. He noticed her at the same time and they started working their way towards one another. They met in the middle of the area near a statue where the press of the crowd wasn't as bad. At first they just looked at one another, neither wanting to ruin the moment with a wrong word. Finally Naru pulled out the Box of Pocky and offered Keitaro a piece, opening the lid wide so he could see the inside of it and read the word written there. When he saw it he smiled, reached out and pulled two sticks from the packaging and closed the lid. He then offered one to Naru and smiled as he ate his.  
  
Naru went to reach for the other stick but instead stepped forward and embraced Keitaro. "I love you! Please don't leave me again, ever."  
  
"I won't Naruseguwa. I promise."  
  
They stood there for a few minutes as the other Test takers passed on all sides, going about their business. Naru finally released Keitaro and leaned back a bit, holding onto his neck. "So, have you looked at your results yet?"  
  
"No, I was hoping this would turn out good and we could look together."  
  
"Ok, let's go look anata."  
  
"Umm. Ok."  
  
They held hands as they walked forward to see what their scored were. They came across Naru's first;  
  
Naruseguwa Naru Passed 461/500  
  
Naru breathed a huge sign of relief and looked to Keitaro. His eyes were still scanning the wall. He was still looking for his results. Finally he located them;  
  
Urashima Keitaro Passed 492/500  
  
They'd done it. They both turned to one another and smiled then quietly left the crowded area. Once they were well clear of the mob of people they looked at one another and yelled at the top of their lungs "YAATA!!!!!!" They jumped and yelled for a while, dancing with joy with one another.  
  
Out of breath Keitaro moved over to a bench and took a seat. Naru sat down right beside him and leaned against him and relaxed a bit. They sat for a while just enjoying the afterglow of success and the closeness of one another.  
  
"So, you want to celebrate our success together?" Keitaro asked as he slid his arm around Naru's shoulder.  
  
"What did you have in mind?"  
  
"How about dinner and a movie. Then maybe a club to dance for a bit."  
  
"That could be fun."  
  
"Ok, want to meet back here in say 2 hours?"  
  
"Are. are you coming back to Hinata-sou?"  
  
"Yes, now that this is resolved. I was planning to move back tomorrow morning."  
  
"Well, why don't we move you back now. It's still early in the morning so we have all day to prepare for the celebration. I'd be able to enjoy myself much more knowing that I have you back. Besides, how can we have dinner this early in the day?"  
  
"Well, Ok. I guess we could do that."  
  
"Lucky! Ok anata. Let's get moving."  
  
With that Naru jumped up and pulled Keitaro to his feet. She then took his hand and ushered him forward. They walked to the place he'd been staying and she helped him pack up the little bit of stuff he'd taken when he left the Inn. While cleaning out the bedside table Naru came across a jewelry box. She looked at it for a moment before reaching for it. Just as she was about to grab and open the box Keitaro leaned over her shoulder and picked up the box. "Not yet Naruseguwa. This is for later."  
  
She just watched as he walked back to the bag he was packing and placed the box inside. She smiled, thinking about the contents of the box and finished up her part of the packing. Within an hour they had packed everything into 3 bags and were ready to leave for home. Keitaro thanked the couple that had let him live in their home for the past six months. Then he and Naru took the bags and started walking home.  
  
When they arrived at the Inn and walked into the foyer they noticed that there was no one around. No yelled welcome back, no launching Suu hugs, nothing. They walked to Keitaro's room and set down him bags and took a seat at his kotatsu.  
  
"Well, we're back and I'm officially living here again," noted Keitaro. "I should let Haruka-san know so she doesn't go over there looking for me."  
  
"Want to walk down to the Hiza-Hinata now?"  
  
"Sure, nothing else to do at the moment. It's only One o'clock. Besides, we need to see what's showing so we can chose what movie to watch."  
  
Hand in hand they walked down the stairs to the Teashop, there they found everyone talking and partying.  
  
"There you two are," yelled Kitsune over the noise of the party as she walked over to the door. "We are celebrating Mitsumi's acceptance to Toudai."  
  
"Good we can celebrate ours with you all for now also, but no alcohol for us. We have a date later," explained Keitaro.  
  
"A date?!" Asked Kitsune. "You lucky devil!"  
  
"Yes I am, " said Naru with a grin.  
  
The three of them joined the party and had a good time. Keitaro and Naru only drank fruit juice, as they'd said they would. During the party Keitaro looked through the paper and found out what would be playing and when and asked Naru what she would like to see. They also planned to go to a little restaurant neat the Movie Theater for dinner. At around Four o'clock they left the party and went back up to the Inn to get ready for their date.  
  
They both walked into Keitaro's room and Naru kissed Keitaro on the cheek before climbing up the ladder to her room above. She poked her head back down through the opening and said, "I'm going to go take a bath. I'll be back in a little while. I love you."  
  
Keitaro stood there for a moment thinking about the events of the last few days. He'd gone from the self-inflicted outcast to being the anata of a beautiful young woman. A young woman that had, six months ago pushed him away when he needed her the most. He thought he understood why but couldn't be sure. He decided not to look the gift horse in the mouth and accept the situation. He too undressed and went to take a bath.  
  
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Two hours later they met downstairs and headed into town for dinner. The little restaurant they had chosen was about two blocks from the theater. The movie they were going to see started at Eight o'clock so they had time to enjoy their meal. They ordered curry and miso soup and they each had a drink. After they finished their meals Keitaro ordered them cups of coffee to drink while talking.  
  
Keitaro got right to the point, "So, you promised to tell me why the change of heart from six months ago."  
  
"Well, it's not really a change of heart so much as it's a realization of my true feelings about us."  
  
"Umm. Huh?"  
  
"That night, when you asked if we could go further in our relationship, I didn't think before responding. About a minute after you said sayonara it hit be and I tried to catch you to correct my mistake. You were already gone though. When I read the letter you left for me and for Kitsune it hit me that you were serious about our relationship. I knew that I would have to get over my problem with admitting that I did love you and wanted to be with you. So I decided not to chase you down until I'd come to terms with my emotions. I spent a lot of time in front of a mirror telling myself how much I loved you and how much I needed you. I saw you leaving the first day of the testing and tried to follow you but lost you at an intersection. I'm not sure what I would have done had I caught you."  
  
"Gomenasai. I saw you chasing me and I hid. I saw you run by me and then walk back later. Not sure why I hid from you or why I stayed hidden when you passed back by."  
  
"That's ok. Like I said, I don't know what I would have done if I'd caught you. I wasn't ready to face you like I wanted to until a few days later, when I wrote that letter."  
  
"That really surprised me a lot. That said things I would never have expected to hear from you. That's why I put the letter back with the request it had. I wanted to make sure someone wasn't playing with me."  
  
"I understand and it's ok. Was kind of exciting. Having something naughty written in a box of candy and showing it in public. Let's not do it again."  
  
"Ok," he laughed.  
  
They talked for a while longer then left for their movie.  
  
After the movie they walked out into the cool night air and started walking down the road, no destination in mind. Finally Keitaro turned to Naru, "So, you want to go to a club for a while? Do some dancing?"  
  
"Can you dance?" she asked while looking him in the eye.  
  
"He he he, umm." he said nervously as he scratched the back of his head.  
  
"That's what I thought." She grabbed Keitaro's hand and started walking down the street with a noticeable purpose in mind.  
  
After a few turns Keitaro asked, "Where are we going?"  
  
"Somewhere we should have visited six months ago but I was to childish."  
  
A few moments later Keitaro realized that they were in 'that' part of town. With the motels and charged by the hour. They walked to a nicer looking hotel and entered. At the desk Naru said that she'd called earlier. The woman behind the counter looked in her computer and handed Naru a key and a wink. Naru just laughed nervously and pulled Keitaro away from the counter and into a hallway to the rooms.  
  
When they reached the room that had been assigned to them they noticed that the door was shaped like a heart and covered in red puffy cloth. Naru put the key into the door, unlocked it, and pushed the door open reveling a room right out of the cheesy romance movies. A large heart shaped bed was in the center of the room, with mirrors overhead. The bathroom was open to the room and the shower had clear glass walls. The only place with privacy was the small room the toilet was in.  
  
Also in the room was a small sake bar, fully stocked and a Jacuzzi. In the corner behind the bed was a little cabinet with various types of protection, lotions, and other things neither of them could bring them selves to look at. The walked into the room and stood there in nervous silence.  
  
While looking around the room Keitaro notices a sogi screen folded against the wall. He walks over to it and opens it up to see how wide it is. He then drags it over to block the view of the shower from most of the room. He turns and smiles at Naru who smiles back.  
  
"Umm. I'll shower first," stammers Keitaro.  
  
"Ok, I'll umm. wait here on the bed until you are finished."  
  
Keitaro takes off his coat and hangs it on a hook near the door then goes behind the screen, disrobes and gets in the shower. As he washes himself off he thinks about what is about to happen. This, of course, causes him to get even more excited and causes him to have an erection. He finishes his shower, steps out and dries off. He then wraps the towel around him and walks out from behind the screen. Naru looked up with a start and immediately notices his erection through the towel. A few moments later she was snapped out of her stare when she notices Keitaro was turning 4 shades of red with embarrassment at being stared at. Naru quickly stood up and walked behind the screen and pushed Keitaro towards the bed.  
  
She waited until she heard Keitaro sit on the bed then started to undress. At first she just tossed her clothes to the floor as she removed them. Then noticed, next to the wall at the other end of the screen, on the floor were Keitaro's clothes folded into a nice pile. She looked at the pile for a moment then grabbed her shirt and folded it. The laid it next to Keitaro's clothes the grabbed and folded her skirt and placed it on the pile. The then noticed on the far side of his pile was the box she'd seen in the bedside table at the place he'd stayed in. She stood there in her light blue panties and bra for a moment contemplating opening the box. Just as she moved to reach for it though Keitaro's arm came from behind that end of the screen, felt around for a moment, then grabbed the box.  
  
"Gomen, I forgot to grab this." He said fro the other side of the blind as he walked back to the bed.  
  
At that point Naru was almost willing to run out after him despite her mostly nude state to see what was in that box. She finally decided to just shower, sure that Keitaro would show her when the time was right in his eyes. She took a quick shower then stepped out and dried off. She wrapped a towel around herself and peeked out from behind the screen. She saw Keitaro looking through the sake selections in the small bar on the other side of the room.  
  
"Interested in a drink?" she asked and she walked over to where he was standing.  
  
"Hai, would you like something also?"  
  
"Sure. Something strong."  
  
Keitaro found one that looked promising and poured them both a glass then placed the bottle back in the cabinet. He held his glass up to Naru, "Kampei!"  
  
"Kampei!"  
  
After downing the sake Keitaro took Naru's hand. He guided her to the bed and asked her to sit down. Once she was seated he walked behind her. Naru felt him climb onto the bed and come up behind her.  
  
"I had this made while we were still seeing each other before. I was going to give it to you that night at the Hotel but. well, you know. So now is the chance I guess."  
  
As Keitaro explained this Naru heard the sound of the small box opening. She then saw Keitaro's arm pass in front of her and felt something cold touch her chest just below her throat. As she sat there waiting for Keitaro to finish fastening the necklace, for what else could it be, she started to get anxious to see it. Realizing he was still fumbling with the clasp because of her hair Naru reached back and moved it out of his line of sight. He quickly clipped the ends together and sat back. Naru started looking around for a mirror to view the item when Keitaro grasped her by the shoulders and pulled her back, resting her head in his lap. Not sure what he was doing she started to try and sit back up when she looked up and saw the mirror on the roof and her reflection there.  
  
The Necklace was made of gold with a few diamonds placed here and there to accentuate the piece. In the middle of the necklace was a golden Liddo-kun with diamond eyes, his arms out stretched. In each hand he held on of their names, also in gold.  
  
As Naru looked at the necklace her eyes began to tear with joy. She now knew for sure that she had to have Keitaro with her always. She would never let him go again. She sat up and turned to face the man that was soon to be her lover and smiled. "Please make love to me Keitaro. I need you in more ways then I can say. But I want to give myself to you, here and now."  
  
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The next morning, upon returning to Hinata-sou, Naru finished moving herself into Keitaro's room. Three months into their first year of Toudai they were married.  
  
  
  
Well, this concludes my first fic. I know the ending was a bit anti- climatic. There might be a lemon continuation to the story in the future, maybe not. Only time will tell.  
  
Please feel free to Read and Review. If you feel the need to flame you can do that also.  
  
You can also talk to me, when I'm online, on irc.dal.net in the channel #Absolut-Anime. I go by the same nickname. Please do not come there to flame though. There are other people there that don't need to see that. 


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